Update from NCHI: Celebrities on Scarlet, Jim Brown Q&A, Final Field Announced – Ohio State Buckeyes
7/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | General
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational begins Thursday at Scarlet Course
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Big names from the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball, including several Buckeye greats, teed off on the Scarlet Course at Ohio State’ Golf Club to participate in the 2009 SafeLite AutoGlass Celebrity Pro-Am Monday afternoon.
A total of 24 local and nationally renowned stars of sports and entertainment teamed up with two amateurs and one Nationwide Tour professional. The event was part of the Nationwide Tour’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational that will be played on the Scarlet Course, July 30-Aug. 2.
Among the Ohio State all-stars were Jim Brown (the 2009 NCHI Honorary Chairman), Keith Byars, Michael Conley, John Cooper, Bill Davidage, Anthony Gonzalez, Archie Griffin, Raymont Harris, John, Hicks, Clark Kellogg,Craig Krenzel, Jeff Logan, Scoonie Penn, Tom Skladany, Ron Stokes, Troy Taylor and William White. Ellen Tressel, wife of head football coach Jim Tressel, also played in the event.
Jim Brown, who recently retired after 36 years as head coach of the Ohio State men’s golf program, is serving as Honorary Chairman of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational this week. Before he began his official duties playing in the SafeLite AutoGlass Celebrity Pro-Am Monday afternoon, Brown answered a few questions about hosting the event at the Scarlet Course and what he week holds.
First of all, how has it been serving as the honorary chairman of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational this week?
As I’ve told people, to follow (Jack) Nicklaus and (John) Cook is a pretty good gig. They are two pretty good people to follow. But it’s great, we’ll have a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to playing with my Nationwide guy (Ben Bates) and a couple of other amateurs. Then I’m going to play again Wednesday in the Pro-Am and I’m going to a clinic Friday and I’m throwing out the first pitch Saturday at the Clippers game and then giving out the low amateur trophy Sunday. They’re kind of using me I think [laughing], but this is great to have it here at the course. It’s great for recruiting and the course gets on TV and a lot of people watch it, so that will help out our golf program too.
What do you think about all these famous names, past Buckeye greats being on the course for the SafeLite AutoGlass Celebrity Pro-Am?
I know most of them I’ve been around so long. They’ll come up and say, ‘Hey Coach, how’re you doing?’ So I think it’s neat for those guys to come back and contribute. It’s a great cause – the Nationwide Children’s Hospital – and they’re all happy to do it. It’s just a fun day.
There is a strong contingent of Buckeyes that are going to be playing in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational this year. How do you think they will fare playing on their ‘home course?’
Well, I hope it will bring out some people to watch them and they should be comfortable playing here. Vaughn (Snyder) is in it, he won the Ohio Open last week, and Colin Biles was runner-up in the Ohio Open. Bo Hoag is playing as an amateur. Then we have Ryan Armour and Craig Kanada from years past. So there will be five guys out here and I’ll be busy following them once the tournament starts. Hopefully it will be a good week for the Buckeyes.
The official tournament field was released Monday evening. It includes former Buckeyes Ryan Armour (1995-98), Colin Biles (2004-07) Craig Kanada (1989-91) and Vaughn Snyder (2008-09) as well as Ohio State junior-to-be Bo Hoag. A PDF with the complete field is available above.
The third annual Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational will feature a purse of $775,000, the third largest on the Nationwide Tour. The Golf Channel will broadcast nine and a half hours of coverage from Thursday’s opening round to the trophy presentation on Sunday.
The official Tournament Pro-Am presented by The Wall Street Journal played on Wednesday. The tournament will be operated by HNS Sports Group, a full service event management company headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.
For questions concerning ticket prices and availability and general Tournament information please call (614) 764-GOLF or visit www.nchigolf.com.
ABOUT THE NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL INVITATIONAL
The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational is owned and operated by Champions of the Community, Inc., an Ohio non-profit corporation. The event is the only tournament on the Nationwide Tour to operate as an “invitational”, providing a unique platform in which the best players on the Nationwide Tour will be joined by a select number of the country’s top collegian/amateur golfers in a limited field of 144 players. Featuring a purse of $775,000 the tournament is conducted to showcase the best golf on the Nationwide Tour on one of the most challenging venues in the world for the enjoyment of spectators and to benefit charitable organizations in central Ohio. For more information, call 614-764-GOLF or visit our website at www.nchigolf.com.
ABOUT NATIONWIDE
Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by A.M. Best. The company provides a full range of personalized insurance and financial services, including auto insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and health and productivity services. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com. Nationwide, the Nationwide Framemark and On Your Side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.
ABOUT THE NATIONWIDE TOUR
Founded (1990), owned and operated by the PGA TOUR, the Nationwide Tour identifies those players who are ready to compete and win on golf’s biggest stage. As the official proving ground of the PGA TOUR, two out of three PGA TOUR members are Nationwide Tour alumni. As of June 22, 2009, Tour alumni have won 249 PGA TOUR titles, including 12 majors and three PLAYERS Championships. Twenty-five PGA TOUR cards and total prize money of $18.5 million will be at stake over the course of 29 events in 2009. The PGA TOUR, through the efforts of its three tours and their tournaments, sponsors, players and volunteers, supports over 2,000 local charities and has surpassed $1.3 billion in charitable giving. To learn more about the PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour and to follow the season-long quest for a PGA TOUR card, visit www.PGATOUR.COM.
ABOUT THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT
The Ohio State University Department of Athletics is completely self supporting and receives no university monies, tax dollars or student fees. The Department of Athletics sponsors 36 fully funded varsity teams – 17 for women, 16 for men and three that are co-educational – and is committed to providing the very finest in academic and athletics support in an effort to provide its more than 1,000 student-athletes with a quality, life-changing experience at Ohio State.
